Q: My stucco house has never been painted, and from years of never being cleaned it is very dirty. I have had several power-wash companies look at the house. They have tried various chemicals and they do not seem to take this dirt or mold off. None of the companies has washed the house — they have only looked at it and then refused the job.

A: Your house needs more than just a good cleaning. It needs the finish refurbished. We don’t doubt that your house has never been painted. But we do question that it never had what is known in the plastering trade as a "color coat."